Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) blew hot and cold throughout the season and once again it was the lack of consistency that came to haunt the franchise as they finished fifth in the recently concluded Indian Premier League in UAE. Despite having some of the biggest names in T20 cricket, the Knights could not make it to the Playoff, and changes to the composition and structure of the side are on the cards. Ahead of the mega auction next year, the Knight Riders could release a few big names in order to strike the perfect balance.
Here are the players who could be released:
Dinesh Karthik: He was the captain of the franchise at the start of the season, but with the side performing poorly – Karthik decided to hand over the captaincy mantle to Eoin Morgan. With 169 runs in 14 matches, Karthik surely did not live up to the expectations and could face the axe ahead of the upcoming auction.
Tom Banton: A lot was expected from the English dasher, but Banton failed in the limited opportunities he got at the top of the order. He should not be blamed too much as he did not get to spend a lot of time in the middle. In two matches, the English top-order batsman scored 18 runs.
Kuldeep Yadav: A proven match-winner, Kuldeep was expected to get wickets for the Knight Riders in the middle-phase. The chinaman bowler did not get a lot of opportunities and with Varun Chakravarthy in top-form with the ball, the franchise could think of releasing Kuldeep. In five matches, he got only a solitary wicket.
Chris Green: The South Africa-born spinner did not get a lot of opportunities and that looks to be the only reason why he could be released ahead of the mega auction. With Chakravarthy, Sunil Narine and Kuldeep in the mix, it is hard to make the XI as a spinner.
Andre Russell: The T20 star did not shine and that was one of the biggest problems with the franchise this season. Russell – who is a proven match-winner could only score 117 runs in 10 games which are way below his standards. It would be interesting to see if KKR still believe in him despite his show in 2020 IPL. He is also injury-prone, another factor that works against him.